Adolis Garcia

José Adolis García Arrieta, a Cuban professional baseball outfielder, was born on March 2, 1993, and earned the nickname “El Bombi.” He is renowned for playing for the Texas Rangers in the Major League Baseball (MLB) after stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Yomiuri Giants in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Tigres de Ciego de Ávila in the Cuban National Series.

García began his baseball career in the Cuban National Series, playing for the Tigres de Ciego de Ávila from 2011. However, his crave for greater achievement made him in 2016, transition to the Nippon Professional Baseball, playing for the Yomiuri Giants. He made an impressive mark, representing the Cuban national team during the 2015 Pan American Games.

2016 marked a significant turn in García’s career when he defected from Cuba. By February 2017, he had signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, earning a non-roster invitation to spring training. He played an outstanding season with the Springfield Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds, posting a .290 batting average along with 15 home runs and 65 runs batted in (RBIs).

Unfortunately, García’s contract with the Cardinals was terminated in December 2019, leading to his transfer to the Texas Rangers. He faced a challenging 2020 season, recording only six at-bats and no hits for the entire year. Despite these setbacks, García remained determined, earning an invitation to the spring training in February 2021 as a non-roster invitee.

In April 2021, Ronald Guzmán’s injury opened up an opportunity for García to showcase his skill set, leading to his selection to the active roster. That same year, he was named the American League Rookie of the Month, finishing the 2021 season with 90 RBIs and 59 extra-base hits, and hitting 31 home runs.

Unlike his 2020 season, García’s performance in 2021 was groundbreaking. He posted a .312 hitting average, a significant feat which secured his place as a reserve for the American League in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. His career witnessed an upward trajectory when he tied for the league lead with 16 outfield assists.

His brilliance did not fade in the 2022 season. Over 156 games, García made a .250/.300/.456/.756 impact, recording 101 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and 27 home runs.

2023 was groundbreaking for García. He set the record against the Oakland Athletics by becoming the fourth player in MLB history to hit two doubles and three home runs in a single game. After an injury incident, García returned to the field in only ten days, hitting .245/.328/.508/.836 with 39 home runs in the 148 games of that year.

He suffered a major setback towards the end of the 2023 season due to a heated incident, which led to his ejection from a crucial game against the Astros. However, that did little to taint his stellar performance that year. García led the Texas Ranger to the 2023 World Series, setting a single-season record by recording 22 RBIs in the games.

Later that year, he won the American League outfield Gold Glove Award, a testament to his defensive prowess. On February 8, 2024, García inked a two-year, $14 million contract with the Rangers, avoiding arbitration.

Off the field, García maintains a close relationship with his older brother, Adonis García, a former professional baseball player. He is also the godfather of Randy Arozarena’s daughter, sharing a bond with Arozarena, who describes García as his “brother.”